The Beautifully Broken
by Madam Heronduck-Lightworm
Summary: Clary doesn't know her place in the city that never sleeps. Her family's new money and status confuse her, and her past haunts her dreams. Jace is no newcomer to New York. But as heir to the expectations of the Herondale title along with his own tortured past, he has never belonged. Can these two kindred souls find comfort in each other, or will their past rip them apart? AU Clace
1. The Beautifully Broken

Clary:

The light of the city glistened as Clary slid down to the floor of her beautiful art studio. The room was big, bright, and not hers, just as this city would never be.

Ever since Jocelyn, Clary's mom, was paid millions of dollars for a painting and had become a famous artist, everyone had been treating her like royalty.

Before, Jocelyn Fairchild had been a small painter with big dreams in the Virginia suburbs. Now, the Fairchilds were a well-known family in New York city's social hierarchy and Clary hated it. hated that everywhere she looked, she saw an unfamiliar place where she didn't belong. A place where-despite all the people she had come to know-Clary felt completely alone.

Jace:

Jace was never good enough. He was adopted, and though the Lightwoods loved him like their own, he would always be different. Though he went by the name of Lightwood, he would be heir to the Herondale title when he turned eighteen. Heir to the money and power. Heir to the expectations that had him constantly striving to be the best.

An outsider might say that Jace had everything- money, looks, popularity-But that was mostly because of the walls he had built. He had a loving family, tons of friends and everything he could ever want. But Jace was missing something- something that gnawed a hole in this already tattered heart. Regardless of everything he had, Jace didn't have someone who would understand. Understand the pain and agony that he went through, seeing his father murdered, and staring shocked as the blood soaked his shoes and the tears streaked his face.

No, Jace did not have everything, but sometimes, pretending was the only way to save yourself from the pain in your heart.


	2. IntroducingThe Lightwoods

**Hey Guys! So, This is my first story as you can probably tell, so should I keep writing? Do You hate It? Wish that I never write again? Possibly love it?**

Clary:

 _BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEE-_

Clary groaned and rolled over to turn off her alarm. Instead, she gracefully fell off the bed.

"What th-" Then Clary remembered. New York. New City. New Life. New School. "Whats not to love," she grumbled, and shut off her alarm.

"Clary! Are you up yet?" her mother called from down the hall. Jocelyn walked in to see her daughter lying on the floor. "er... are you okay?" Jocelyn questioned as Clary got up and shook out her hair

"Yeah, I'm fine, mom. Don't worry." Another perk of moving, Clary thought, your mother becomes more overprotective than before.

"Well, get ready," Jocelyn sighed, slowly shaking her head at her daughter. " Our neighbors, the Lightwoods, are going to be here soon and I want to make a good impression." Jocelyn left the room, allowing Clary to get dressed.

"Who are the Lightwoods?" Clary thought out loud, heading for her too-large shower.

When Clary exited her much needed shower, wrapped in nothing but a towel, She was greeted by a beautiful girl with large brown eyes and jet black hair rifling though her closet.

"Hey!" The girl greeted, as though they were longtime friends."I'm Isabelle Lightwood, but you can call me Izzy! I've heard so much about you and I'm sure we'll be the best of friends! Come, sit down, so I can get you ready for the first day of school." Clary was so shocked that she didn't move. Why was this girl being so nice to her? And more importantly, what was she doing here?

"Hi, i'm Clary, she squeaked out, nowhere near matching Izzy's enthusiastic tone.

Izzy giggle, and handed her a tiny ball of clothes that would give Jocelyn a heart attack. Clary shrugged and went into the bathroom to change.

Half an hour later ( a third of which I had spent putting on that god awful dress ) Izzy finished my makeup and I was ready.

Izzy turned me back around to face the mirror, and I was blown away at how she made me look beautiful. _Beautiful._ I had never thought that I could be more than cute, or pretty thanks to my tiny frame and my height but Isabelle made it vanish with a few strokes of a brush and heels. _This woman is a god_ , I thought, staring at the perfect smokey eye.

I saw Izzy smiling at me from my bed, and I was glad that, despite my total hatred of NYC, I had made a friend.

* * *

Clary:

As we walked down to the gigantic living room, Izzy told me about her family.

"Well, other than me, there's Alec, Jace and Max," she stated, and from the look in her eyes, I could tell how much she loved her siblings. "Alec looks basically just like me, but with blue eyes. Max is literally a copy of Alec and is super nerdy and adorable." Her eyes shone when talking about Max, as if she was going to cry. "And then there's Jace," she sighed, an annoyed look replacing her sad one. "Jace is a completely golden boy, and I mean that literally. He has bright gold hair and eyes, and is basically the biggest player you have ever met." She rolled her eyes, as if it would stop his antics. "He was adopted after his parents died, but don't let that fool you. Jace has literally slept with half the girls at school so, please, NEVER fall for his tricks," she pleaded, sorrow in her eyes.

"I promise I won't, Izzy, trust me. I've had some experience with guys like Jace, and I know to stay away." Stay away from guys like Sebastian, I thought, remembering the only good thing this move had done. It took me away from _him._

Izzy perked up, and soon, we had made our way down the winding staircase.

* * *

Jace:

I saw her as she walked down the staircase, smiling. Her face was like that of an angel that walked the earth.

" _Where the hell are these thoughts coming from?"_ I questioned. No, Jace Lightwood was not one to fall to the whims of females. shaking my head, I jumped up and introduced myself.

"Hey, I'm Jace," I said, smirking as her face turned as red as her scarlet locks. I automatically thought of calling her little red.

"And I'm not interested," she stated, rolling her beautiful emerald green eyes at me, and walking away.

I was stunned. No girl had ever turned me down like that. I watched as she met Alec and Max, both of whom she seemed to become instant friends with.

"Whats her name?" I asked Izzy, and she rolled her eyes.

"It's Clary, Jace. And shes not into you, so give it up," she retorted, and left my side and walked outside.

"Never," I whispered, already thinking of ways to make her like me. Jace Lightwood was many things, but he was not one to quit. _Little Red, here I come._

 **So, is it bad? please rate and review!**


	3. Welcome To Hell

**Disclaimer('cause apparently I do that now): All of these beautiful characters (yes, even Jace) belong to the talented Cassandra Clare**

Clary:

As we left for school, we crawled into two different cars. Jace and Alec rode in Alec's black Mustang and I rode with Izzy in my cherry-red Ferrari. Cliche, I know. I was glad for Izzy's company, though. Despite our only knowing each other for a few hours, we seemed to be pretty good friends. I, being the introverted tomboy that I was, never had many female friends. My best friend was Simon Lewis, a nerdy gamer who, despite his dangerous addiction to Star Wars, was a true friend. Unfortunately, Simon had moved to New York City a few years ago. We tried to stay in contact, but slowly fell out of touch. I often wondered what had become of him, and found myself thinking of him more and more recently. _Hey! Maybe I would run into him on the impossibly busy streets of New York!_

"Wait, Clary, stop for a second." Isabelle looked a bit worried as she pulled me out of my thoughts.

"What? Are you okay?" My response felt a bit robotic, but oh well.

"Yeah, just, can we take a tiny detour? I promised to pick up my boyfriend today and I forgot that we were dropping by your place first. I'm sorry I should've said some-"

"Izzy," I cut her off. "Its okay, why do you look so worried?"

"It's just that I've never had that many female friends, you know? Alec and Jace have kinda been my only friends and i'm worried because I don't know If I'm supposed to act differently towards you than I do in front of the boys."

I grinned. Apparently we had more in common than I had thought. "Its okay, Izzy, just be yourself. Oh, and you're literally the first female I've ever hung out with too, so don't be so worried about being the most perfect friend." Izzy matched my grin. "Okay, so where does this boyfriend of yours live? If we don't hurry up, we'll be late."

"Just around this corner... and there he is! Hi Simon!" She waved at him and I stiffened. Simon. Could it possibly be _my_ Simon? I turned my head slowly and was greeted by a pair of dorky glasses and a gaming tee shirt, both adorning a tall and gangly teenager with a shocked expression frozen on his face.

"Clary?" the tone of his voice was so familiar that I nearly broke out in tears.

"Simon! Simon Lewis-It's really you!" Simon grinned at me and Izzy glanced at each of us wearing a puzzled expression on her face.

"Wait. You two know each other?" I grinned as I heard a hint of jealousy coloring her words.

"It's not what you think, Izzy. Remember how I told you about my lack of female friends? Well, Simon was my best friend back in Virginia before his family moved here." Izzy's jealousy viably drained away from her face and left her with a grin. Honestly, that girl wore her heart on her sleeve.

"Yeah," Simon added, a teasing grin on his face. "Remember the fiery, headstrong redhead I told you about? Well, here she is: The amazing Clarissa Fairchild"

I rolled my eyes at his ever so charming description of me. "Get in the car, loser. We'll be late!" Simon laughed as he sauntered over to the car as if he had all the time in the world. _Idiot_. Nevertheless, I laughed along, felling less intimidated by this school day already. Boy, was I wrong.

* * *

Clary:

When we finally pulled into the school parking lot, we parked next to Alec and Jace, both of whom were waiting for us. Jace sauntered over with an easy grin on his face and began the interrogation.

"What took you guys so long?" Jace questioned, cocking his head like a bird. Honestly, that boy surprised me.

"We had to pick up Simon. Apparently He and Clary were friends back when they were kids." Jaces' face slightly hardened-a change small enough that I barely caught it. _What was that boys' problem?_

At this point, Alec decided to pop in. "Izzy, would you like to give the introduction or should I?" _What were they talking about?_

"I will, thank you very much, Alec," she replied with a hint of annoyance in her voice. _What introduction?_

"Clarissa Adele Fairchild, welcome to your first day at the most prestigious and pretentious school in all of America. The Institute is a place where all of America's Elite gather for higher education and to waste their parents money by skipping class. Welcome to the place where, for the next two years of your life, you will master skills that range all the way from Algebra to quantum physics. Where you learn to pour tea and curtsy, all the while knowing nineteen different ways to maul the person you're having tea with in the blink of an eye. Welcome to the largest, best parties, and most dramatic breakups you will ever witness. Welcome to the place where only some can make it, while others will be crushed by the pressure. Welcome to **The New York Institute For Higher Learning."** Izzy said all of this in a fake English accent, causing me to giggle, but did nothing for my shocked demeanor.

"In other words," Jace stated, laughing at my shocked expression. "Welcome to Hell."

* * *

 **A.N:**

 **I feel like I owe you guys an explanation(hehehe)**

 **So, It was SOL month, and I blame my Asian-ness on not updating.**

 **You see, when one is Asian, anything below a pass advanced is considered to be a disgrace. Its a serious problem, really.**

 **But i'm back, so YAY! Thank you for bearing through that. I'll go now...**

 **Oh, and please review.**


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